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Editorial
Note:
Please contact Army
and Govt Officials in Wamena
In many cases, Letter Writings have not been
working for the Military or to prevent Current
Incidents, Phoning have been so far successful.
The retaliation from the Indonesian armed
forces have been so far brutal and unreasonable.
They will attack, and kill anyone they suspect or
they wanted to get, without any proofs of their
involvement whatsoever.
Retaliations have been worse, burning houses, churches,
villages to ground zeroes, raping, attacking
villagers, killing tens of thousands of them and
continuous intimidation and terror.
West Papua has been continuously declared as a
Peace Zone, that is the aspiration of the Papuan
People. Why should there be a war again?
Especially the Koteka Tribes have the most brutal
experience of continuous intimidation, rape,
torture, extra judicial killings, unjust trials,
and murders. Why should they create this conflict
again?
Is this purely the Papuans' plan? Or is there
anyone else behind, to the Papuan leaders,
"Look, you cannot declare this area as Peace
Zone, there are lots of trouble here?"
Most of the troubles in West Papua have been
perpetrated by the TNI/ Special Forces -
Kopassus. They kidnapping and assassination of
Theys Eluay (11 Nov '01), Ambus in Tembagapura (30
Aug '02), Border Areas (16 Dec - 02 - Jan '03),
and now in Wamena. War in Wamena on 06 October
2000, and many other wars in 1970s have taught the
Koteka Tribes of West Papua that "war"
is not the way forward in our struggle for
independence.
This week, the Indonesian armed forces
commander announced 1,000 troops to be deployed to
West Papua. Papuans and their regional
parliamentarian members rejected the order as West
Papua has been declared as a Peace Zone. Thus,
this incident can justify the military deployment
into West Papua. The armed commanders will say,
"Look, this region is not a Peace Zone, there
are killings. Therefore, sending more troops is
justified."
This scenario is not new in West Papua. They
have done in Timika, Wamena, Border Areas, Wasior,
Bonggo, Biak, and other parts of Indonesia.
The CEB 4 April 2003
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WPNews, Friday, 4 Apr, 2003, 10:57AM (GMT)
TPN/OPM TOOK 38 ARMS AND 3 PISTOLS AWAY FROM WAMENA ARMS-STORE
Two Members of
Indonesian Armed Forces and One from TPN/OPM Dead
Friday, 4 April 2003 10:02 WIB
JAYAPURA-[MIOL] Members of the TPN/OPM (Liberation Army of Free Papua Movement), estimated 15 people, early Friday, 01:30 AM, attacked and took away the arms-store and ammunition of Local Military (Kodim) 1702 Jayawijaya Wamena.
"The attack caused two members of the Indonesian armed forces (TNI) and one member of the TPN/OPM died," says the
Provincial Command Military spokesman, Major CHJ E Situmorang when contacted by Antara.
According to Situmorang, TPN/OPM members came to the arms and ammunition store by
destroying the keys, then break the door and cutting off the electric current into the store.
The arms in duty saw it and asked them to stop, but there was no response, therefore that shooting started.
This armed conflict cost one member of the TPN/OPM, Islae Murib, shot dead on the spot, one injured and others ran into the bush.
The TNI found three jackets, two of them containing medicines, two machetes, two tools for dismantling doors, 10 ammunition for M-16 gun in the trouser of Murib.
Two dead TNI members were First Leut Inf Napitupulu, Head of
Territorial Section and on duty of the armed-store at that moment, died in Wamena hospital, and another member on duty, First
Sergeant Ruben Lena who died on the spot. Meanwhile the identity of the attackers are not yet known.
TPN/OPM members took 13 guns of M-16, 22 of SP, three pistols and thousands of ammunition.
As reported, the steps taken so far are evacuation of the two victims to the
Regional Hospital Wamena, chasing the attackers (TPN/OPM members). At the same time also there are interrogations towards members of the TNI (most suspected ones re TNI members from the Papua highlands - Koteka Tribes) who the TNI suspected backed the action.
In relation to the incident, the TNI is now chasing the TPN/OPM members, one platoon of Kostrad 413/BM was deployed to carry out the chasing as the TPN/OPM members were suspected ran away towards Habema Lake.
There was also an explanation that the TPN/OPM group were from the TPN/OPM Regional Commander IX The Stars Mountain, Gen. TPN PB Tithus Murib, who were suspected residing currently around Habema Lake.
Other groups deployed to chase the group are carrying out their operation around Walesi Village, says the commander of Wamena Armed Forces Region (Dandim)
The Papua Regional Commander of Armed Forces (Pangdam XVII Trikora) Brig Gen. TNI Nurdin Zainal with a number of assistants under the command and Danrem 171/Jayapura, on Monday
morning, flew to Wamena to monitor follow up steps.(Ol-01)
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